Koh Phangan 12/06/06-13/06/06

Heard some of the group returning at 7.30am but didn't properly wake up until 10ish, showered etc and went for breakfast.
Had a really relaxing day really. Did some journal and sorted out laundry. A few of us went to town at 2pm, air con mini bus! We walked round some shops, had lunch and looked round a market. Didn't buy anything - they all sell the same stuff and harrass you.
Got back to resort at 5.30pm and sat chatting on the beach a bit. Went to get ready for dinner at 6.30.
For dinner we walked down the beach to a restaurant, had a colourfully lit entrance. I had some spring rolls and a thai green chicken curry - kinda tasted minty but was good. Afterwards we chatted a bit and then went back to bungalows, I read some and chatted to Kelly a bit when she got back. Slept.....

13/06/06
Woke up at 8.15 and discovered I had been bitten twice on one leg, not too bad but red and a bit itchy - bloody mossies.
Had a nice fruit salad for breakfast and some of the group joined us.
Kristine appeared at 9.30am so we went to reception to ask about the elephant trekking. We decided to do it so both paid for 30 minutes each, we were getting picked up at 11am.
Went back to the table and sat with everyone while they had breakfast, alot of the group were going snorkling at 11.
At 11ish Kristine, Osh, Gary, Imogen, Ollie, Ellie and I got picked up to go to the elephants!! It took about 1 hour to get that and it was quite a nice drive. Passed through some small towns and schools with all the little kids playing.
We got to the elephants and could straight away see one big elephant in an open stable type thing. When we got closer we saw a baby elephant also but he was chained and looked distressed - Kit said he was playing/begging but we didn't believe that. There was another big elephant being hosed down.
We seemed to be stood around for a while, this guy was getting the baby elephant to do like circus tricks which I didn't like so I looked away. They wanted us to buy food. There was a little monkey there chained up and it just looked bored.
Eventually they got ther elephants ready so Imogen, Ollie and Ellie got on the first one. Kristine and I got on the second one, Coban - 30 years old, and a guy got on the neck to control the elephant. We had to get up onto a platform to climb onto the elephant.
The boys got on the 3rd and they had a guy pulling like a lead thing.
It was a slow, relaxing, hot ride. We went up a hill to where there was a fantastic view and then back down again. Our elephant although still slow was the quickest. I am glad I did it but I don't need to do it again.
Afterwards we had a drink and then set back off to the resort. Got back at 3pmish. I got my book and checked emails quickly. Read my book in the bar with a pineapple shake for a while then popped to the payphone and rang mum at work.
I went back to the bungalow to escape the heat for a while and read.
At 5.30 Kristine knocked on the door and said about getting kayaks out. We got a single one each, they were full of ants!!! We capsized them a couple of times but these ants hide and there were so many. We got as many out as we could and then jumped in. I kept getting distracted when an ant appeared and I'd try to kill it.
We went right out of the bay and around the island a bit. There were loads of crabs on the rocks and they would stay camoflaged if they didn't move - doh! We also saw alot of locals fishing round there. We were aiming to get round this corner but it ended up taking way too long so we turned round, we really only saw rocks - I was hoping for a cave or something. We got back just after 6pm.
Went to shower for dinner and went down to meet everyone at 7.15pm. It was Bekkis birthday so we went to this restaurant not too far from our place. We ordered aour food and stuff and then the heavens opened!! It pissed it down hard. Everyone squeezed inside. They managed to get everyones food to them which was good. I had a yummy tuna salad.
Outside the frogs were all doing some sort of mating call and it was so loud and seemed to echo around, was quite amazing.
The tour going the other way were there and seemed very lively, they were getting pretty pissed on buckets! One of the guys played a guitar and sang a bit which was cool. We chatted to them a bit.
Kit had arranged birthday cakes for Bekki and Nancy, whos birthday was the next day.It was nice.
Went to bed at 1am.